Page 39 - SAMRC Annual Report 2023-24
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PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS UNDER THIS PROGRAMME
Antimicrobial Resistance and
Global Health Research Unit
Unit director:
Prof. Pascal Obong Bessong
Prioritising responsive research The expected impact is that evidence from the gut
through impactful interventions resistance assessment and KAP activities will be
fed into a process of knowledge translation and
In the 2023/24 reporting period, the Antimicrobial responsive dialogue approaches to co-produce
Resistance and Global Health Research Unit appropriate educational packages for community
undertook the following projects: AR stewardship programmes. In this period,
(1) Acquisition of antibiotic-resistant gut bacteria enrolment into the community-based prospective
and impact of gut microbiota, with the goal to child/mother pair cohort and stool specimen
understand the variables impacting the acquisition collection continued; alongside data collection
and carriage of gut bacteria antibiotic resistance on breastfeeding practices; illness, treatment, and
(AR) early on in life in the community setting. We are vaccination histories for 62 child/mother pairs, and
also interested in understanding how the diversity (2) Undisclosed antiretroviral exposure and HIV drug
and burden of acquired AR are influenced by the resistance, with the goal to describe the burden of
composition of the developing gut microbiota. Data undisclosed prior exposure to antiretrovirals before
on knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on the use treatment initiation and the impact thereof on drug
of antibiotics was collected from 800 participants. resistance development.
Participants at a National Antimicrobial Resistance Symposium held in September 2023.
SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2023-24 37
